Elton Britt
parlayed his Jimmie Rodgers imitation —
with a yodeling ability and range that surpassed
Rodgers' — into country's biggest hit
of the World War II era, "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere,"
which sold four million copies in the early '40s. He was born James Britt Baker
in Zack, AR, on June 27, 1913, and began playing guitar and singing around his
hometown while in his mid-teens. Baker's career was made in 1930 when
the Beverly Hill Billies
returned from California to their Arkansas home to recruit a new vocalist. He
won the talent search, and after being renamed Elton Britt, spent three years
performing and recording with
the Hill Billies. Britt moved to New York in 1933, initially playing in a
quartet named Pappy, Zeke, Ezra & Elton. He recorded later in the '30s, as a
solo act and also with the Wenatchee Mountaineers, Zeke Manners' Gang, and the
Rustic Rhythm Trio.
Britt began his period of fame in 1939, thanks to two circumstances: his
signature on a contract for the discount label RCA Bluebird and — most
importantly — his friendship with songwriter/producer Bob Miller. Miller wrote
all of Elton Britt's greatest early hits, including "Chime Bells," "Rocky
Mountain Lullaby," "Buddy Boy," "Driftwood on the River," and in 1942, "There's
a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere." The latter was adopted as a symbol of
the war effort by patriotic audiences — much as "Over There" had served World
War I sympathizers. President Franklin Roosevelt even invited Britt — billed as
"the World's Highest Yodeler" — to the White House in 1942 to perform the hit.
By the time the charts came into existence in 1944, though, Britt had peaked. He
did hit the Country Top Ten 11 times during the last half of the '40s, but never
topped the charts. "Someday" reached number two in 1946, and six other songs
peaked in the Top Five, including the double-sided "Wave to Me, My Lady"/"Blueberry
Lane," "Detour," "Gotta Get Together With My Gal," "Candy Kisses," and "Quicksilver."
A re-recording of his early hit "Chime Bells" hit number six. Britt continued
recording with RCA, eventually releasing over 50 albums until 1957, when he
moved to ABC/Paramount. He made a brief bid for the presidency in 1960, and
recorded the number 26 "Jimmie Rodgers Blues" eight years later, but retired
soon after. He died on June 22, 1972.

BEYOND THE SUNSET - Beyond The Sunset /
Lost Highway / Taller Than Trees / I'm Tying The Leaves / Born To Lose /
Will The Angels Let Me Play / Convict And The Rose / When The Work's All
Done This Fall / Precious Jewel / Let Me Talk To You / Don't Make Me Go To
Bed And I'll Be Good / Left My Gal In The Mountains

SOMETHIN' FOR EVERYONE - It Just Happened
/ Reaching For The Moon / No Letter / I Still Believe / Crazy Bout Women / I
Never Knew What It Meant / Homesick For You / Daddy's Little Girl / Who
God's Children Really Are / My Rosary / For All We Know

ELTON BRITT SINGS MODERN COUNTRY - Wichita Lineman /
These Things I'm Not / Don't It Make To Wanna Go Home / I Left My Heart In
San Francisco / Born To Lose / Step Into My Soul / My World Of Memories /
Release Me / Touch My Heart / You Gave Me A Mountain

I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO - Wichita Lineman /
These Things I'm Not / Don't It Make To Wanna Go Home / I Left My Heart In
San Francisco / Born To Lose / Step Into My Soul / My World Of Memories /
Release Me / Touch My Heart / You Gave Me A Mountain

MORE DAYS OF THE YODELING COWBOYS - I'm
A Convict With Old Glory In My Heart / Best Part Of Travel / Lost And Found
Blues / My Mother's Picture / Maybe I Was Wrong / You'll Be Sorry From Now
On / Castle In The Apple Tree / Kiss By Kiss / Weep No More My Darlin' /
Will The Angels Let Me Play / I Never Knew What It Meant To Be Lonesome /
Thanks For The Heartaches / Blue Texas Moonlight / Roses Of Yesterday /
Don't Bring Your Blues To Me / On And On With Me

RIDIN' WITH ELTON - Pinto Pal (opening) / I Love To
Be A Soldier / Goodbye May God Take Care Of You / Chime Bells / Little
Silver Bells / Talk To The Boss In The Sky / Why Didn't You Take That Too /
I Can't Tell That Lie To My Heart / They Took The Stars Out Of Heaven / Some
Time Sue / I'll Be Crying Over You / Wartime Lullaby / Little Pal / These
Memories Of You / Mamaracho (Scarecrow) / Ain't You A Little Bit Sorry / Put
Me In Your Poket / Remember And Be True Dear / Trip To The Moon / We'll Be
Back / Hello Dear Mother And Dad / There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving
Somewhere / Pinto Pal

STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER - Stars And
Stripes Forever / Last Straw / Acres Of Diamonds / Prairieland Polka /
Reaching For The Moon / Two Hearts Are Better Than One / Buddy Boy / Weep No
More My Darlin' / Wave To Me My Lady / I'd Trade All Of My Tomorrows (For
Just One Yesterday) / Candlelight And Roses / I Wish You The Best Of
Everything / Answer To Ninety-Nine Years / Then I'll Grow Tired Of You /
Roses Have Thorns / Who Else / Too Tired To Care / I'm All That's Left Of
That Old Quartette / Ridin' With My Gal

ELTON BRITT SINGS JACKASS BLUES - Jackass
Blues / Anyone / Beyond The Sunset / Blueberry Lane / Game Of Broken Hearts
/ Got To Get Together With My Gal / I Get The Blues When It Rains / Lonely
Little Robin / Looking Around / The Red We Want Is The Red We’ve Got /
Someday / Tale A Sailor Told / Summer Kisses / Before You Know It Christmas
Will Be Here / Merry Texas Christmas You All / Tomorrow You’ll Be Married /
Mocking Bird Hill / Swiss Lullaby / Written Guarantee / Tell Her You Love
Her / Talk To The Boss In The Sky / Rainbow In My Heart / After We Say
Goodbye / I’ve Lived A Lifetime For You

COUNTRY MUSIC'S YODELLING COWBOY CROONER -
VOLUME ONE - I Hung My Head And Cried / Broken Wings / Where Are You Now?
/ Why Did You Leave Me Alone? / Cowpoke / Gotta Get Together With My Gal /
There's A Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere / Just Because You're In
Deep Elem / Quicksilver / I'm All That's Left Of That Old Quartett / Thanks
For The Heartache / They're Positively Wrong / Merry Maiden Polka / One For
The Wonder / Close Your Eyes And Dream / You'll Be Sorry From Now On / Maybe
I'll Cry Over You / Buddy Boy / Too Tired To Care / She Taught Me To Yodel /
I Get The Blues When It Rains / Darling I've Loved Much Too Much / Weep No
More Darlin' / Put My Little Shoes Away / Will You Wait For Me Little Darlin'?
/ Too Many Years / Acres Of Diamonds (Mountains Of Gold) / Chime Bells

EARLY RECORDINGS 1933-1937 - When It’s
Harvest Time In Old New England / Alpine Milkman Yodel / Dear Old Daddy /
When You Played The Old Church Organ / Heart In The Heart Of Texas / Listen
To The Mocking Bird (instr.) / My Best Friend / Swiss Yodel/ Wedding Bells
Waltz (instr.) / Where The Rhododendron Grows / 1936 Tornado / When I’m Four
Times Twenty / New London Texas School Tragedy / My Southland / Blue Eyed
Ellen / When It’s Harvest Time / By The Sleepy Rio Grande / Bring Your Roses
To Your Mother / The Wrong Man & The Wrong Woman / In A Little Inn Way Out
In Indiana

WICHITA LINEMAN - Wichita Lineman / These
Things I'm Not / Don't It Make You Want A Go Home / I Left My Heart In San
Francisco / Born To Lose / Step Into My Soul / My World Of Memories /
Release Me / Touch My Heart / You Gave Me A Mountain

SIDE BY SIDE - THE duoS - ELTON BRITT &
ROSALIE ALLEN - Mockingbird Hill / On And On With You / Tomorrow You'll
Be Married / Swiss Lullaby / The Game Of Broken Hearts / I May Hate Myself
In The Morning / It Is No Secret / Fooling Around / A Little Bit Blue / The
Fiddlin' Fool / Give Me Some Sugar, Sugar Baby / Cotton Candy And A Toy
Balloon / Ashes Of Roses / Tennessee Yodel Polka / Written Guarantee / Close
Your Eyesand Dream / The Yodel Blues / Soft Lips / The Wallflower Waltz /
Let's Sail Away To Heaven / Tell Her You Love Her / You Missed Your Chance
Last Night / Acres Of Diamonds (Mountains Of Gold) / Prairieland Polka /
Quicksilver / Home Came A Sailor / Beyond The Sunset / Side By Side

THE COMPLETE duoS - ELTON BRITT &
ROSALIE ALLEN
- VOLUME TWO -Home Came A Sailor / On And On
With You / I May Hate Myself In The Morning / Fooling Around / The
Wallflower Waltz / The Fiddling Fool / Let's Sail Away To Heaven / You
Missed Your Chance Last Night (My Darling) / Soft Lips (with The THREE SUNS) /
Give Me Some Sugar, Sugar Baby (with The THREE SUNS) / Close Your Eyes And
Dream (with The THREE SUNS) / Merry Maiden Polka (with The THREE SUNS) / The
Game Of Broken Hearts (Wwith The THREE SUNS) / Beyond The Sunset (with The
THREE SUNS)